Audiophile slang
Endgame
Also called end game, endgame setup
Endgame is the product or system an audiophile says they could stop upgrading at: good enough that the search is over. It is used sincerely, hopefully and, very often, ironically, since most people’s endgame lasts until the next release.
The word carries a confession. Declaring something endgame is a way of telling the forum, and yourself, that the money spent was the last of it. Members tag a signal chain "Endgame" on audiophila. when they consider the search over, whatever it cost.
What counts as endgame varies wildly: a Sennheiser HD 600 and a small desktop amplifier for one listener, a six-figure speaker system for another. The term says more about the owner’s contentment than about the gear, which is why giant killers are so often called endgame too. Upgraditis is the condition it is supposed to cure.
Where you’ll see this on tonistry.
- Members tag their chains Endgame.